Answer

Introduction

The Australian Red Cross happens to be among the prominent organizations in Australia, particularly when it comes to the provision of aid during disasters and natural catastrophes. Lay Helen Munro Ferguson established this movement in 1924 after the beginning of the World War I (Australian Red Cross Financials, 2014). This developed occurred after the formation of the British Red Cross branch, which was an outlet of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Australian Red Cross is a constituent of this movement, which is considered the world’s largest humanitarian movement. This movement (i.e. the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement) has approximately 97 million volunteers across the world and boasts being impartial, independent, and neutral (Australian Red Cross Financials, 2014).

In Australia, the Australian Red Cross funds and runs several projects, whilst increasing awareness to the Australian citizens/public concerning the current problems/issues that can affect them. Examples of projects executed by this movement are emergency and disaster services, first aid projects, education services, and first aid services. Besides, the Australian Red Cross receives payment to uphold Australian organ and blood donation services. Australia’s Governor General (i.e. His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd)) is the Australian Red Cross Society’s patron, and acts as the council’s non-voting member. This council executes limited tasks and consists of 53 voting members and the president (Australian Red Cross Financials, 2014). The board made up of 16 members executes other duties. With adequate focus in attaining meaningful results in its priority, the Australian Red Cross has continued working to advance the lives of vulnerable individuals by mobilizing the mandate of humanity via volunteers, staff, supporters and members.

Mission and Corporate Objectives

The Australian Red Cross’ mission it to be the foremost humanitarian organisation in Australia, advancing the lives of vulnerable individuals via services delivered and enhancement of humanitarian values and laws and values. To accomplish this goal, the organisation has designed several programs/initiative. Two of these programs are the family support program and the homelessness service hub, which are headquartered in Townsville. The objectives of these interventions are line with the mission statement of the organization.

Family Support Program

This intervention offers outreach support to families that have children under the age of 18 years and living within the Townsville region. It has the following objective (Family Support Programme, 2015):

• Offering strength-based case administration to vulnerable/susceptible families to facilitate parenting skills, social connections, wellbeing, family functioning, wellbeing, and prevent families joining/rejoining the system of statutory child protection.

Involvement in this intervention is voluntary and families may receive referrals from community agencies, the government, and local providers. Since the year 2011, the Australian government has provided funds amounting to $1.044 billion. These funds are mean for Family Law Services, and Families and Children’s Services, with the aim of providing more support to susceptible families and minimizing red tape for providers of service (Family Support Programme, 2015). The Family Support Program offers services throughout Australia to improve the safety and wellbeing of children, support families, and establish communities that are more resilient. As such, this funding averages to $265 million per year.

Homelessness Service Hub

This program has been developed to help individuals who are homeless or susceptible to becoming homeless. It takes into consideration individuals who have conventionally witnessed difficulties accessing system of homelessness service, including women and families requiring support, individuals with complex needs, and those sleeping rough. The objective of this program is to:

• Help clients to access the most suitable services to meet their requirements

Marketing Audit

A comprehensive marketing audit ensures the comprehension of the environment of the Australian Red Cross. This audit is based on the external and internal factors of the market in which the organization executed its activities. The fiscal year 2013/2014 accomplished a net surplus of approximately $28 million, out of which $25.9 million was obtained from the Blood Service, and $2.1 million services related to humanitarian programs (Australian Red Cross Financials, 2014).  The organisation has made a considerable change to its balance sheet by derecognizing the fractionated blood and plasma products, and domestic fractionated products, thereby reinstating the organisation’s for the financial year 2013/2014 to $13.6 million. Employing the 2012/2013 financial surplus to the net surplus of this year can lead to a figure that exceeds $28 million (106%) (Australian Red Cross Financials, 2014). This rise in financial surplus is attributed to the intensification of marketing activities on the Blood Service. The organisation continues to offer funds to several programs and services such as the homelessness service hub and the family support group via strategically sought government reserves/funds.

The government stored an approximate of 84.6% of the nation’s total gross revenue to offer support to programs for the activities of the Blood Service and individuals seeking asylum, in 2015. Humanitarian service has provided an operating surplus amounting to $2.1million, which represents an increase of about 90% relative to the previous year (Australian Red Cross Financials, 2014).  Despite the existence of fewer natural catastrophes, the organisation has managed to offer humanitarian services to many individuals. For instance, the organisation continues to operate with individuals affected by the Tasmanian Bushfire. Besides, it continues to emphasize on helping asylum seekers, while maintaining its routine operations/activities. According to Australian Red Cross Financials (2014), the Australian community continue growing year-after-year, to a total of about $97.6 million, including monies for appeal that exceed $14 million. The organisation’s monthly giving bequest and program contributed $52.9 million, which represents 60% of the donation earning for routine tasks.

The Australian Red Cross continue investing in and developing these sources of income, which alongside other sources like training and employment operations, and retail shops generate essential funds employed in funding the organisation’s activities in the community. In relation to the government-funding contract, the Blood Service can keep up to an approximate of $5 million of the MOP (Main Operating Program), as well as a balance exceeding $5million needed to be taken back to the government (Australian Red Cross, 2015). In the financial year 2013/2014, the refundable government grant amounted to $40.4 million. This amount indicates the Blood Service’s efficiencies within the MOP throughout the period of funding. Australian Red Cross (2015) points out that the income of the Blood Service increased by 1% (i.e. $6 million) from the preceding year, with an estimate of $3.1 million being attributed to the external and hosted services like the Cambodia project. On the other hand, $3.6 million was attributed to the augmented funding for an extended capital expenditure intervention.

According to Australian Red Cross (2015), the total expenditure of the Blood Service fell by $5.7 million (i.e. 1% from the previous year) with variable expenses indicating a decline in the demand for red cell. In the recent years, the Australian Red Cross has witnessed several significant structural modifications, which have triggered the flowing of savings to the bottom line. As such, there exist adequate income to fund marketing activities of programs such as the homelessness hub service and the family support program. One of the principal alterations was the shutting of the South Australian Processing Center, which was shifted to the new Melbourne facility. Other initiatives/programs that offer significant financial savings apart from the homelessness service hub and the family support program are workforce realignment in the manufacturing and donor services division.  

Macro Environment

The macro-environment factors affective the operations of the Australian Red Cross in Townsville can be determined using the PESTEL analysis. The PESTEL analysis focuses on the political, economic, social, legal, technological, and legal issues affecting the operations of an organisation in the market.

Political Environment

The Australian Red Cross has a robust relationship with the government. This relationship is evident for funds that the government sets aside for the operations of the organization. The Australian government has also cooperates effectively with the organisation, thereby ensuring a conducive environment for the efficient execution of the organization’s activities. For instance, the Australian government offered funds amounting to 1.044 billion in the last three years to support the operations of the organisation.

Economic Environment

Since the Australian Red Cross is a non-profit organisation/entity, it does not have to pay taxes for its operations. As a result, the orgnisation can employ the income generated from its activities in expanding its operations within Townsville. Besides, the organisation obtains financial assistance from many sources such as members of the public and business organisations.

Social and Cultural Environment

The social environment is also favorable in the sense that many people often corporates with the organisation in delivering services to the affected persons. For instance, it is estimated that the organisation has 16 billion volunteer members (Australian Red Cross Financials, 2014). As such, the organisation can manage to accomplish its goals in an effective manner via the Homeless Service Hub and Family Support Group interventions in Townsville.

Technological Environment

Currently, the internet has ensures efficient execution of operations. The internet offers  a suitable platform on which organisations can effectively market their services and activities. Some of the online advertisement avenues are social medial networks such as Facebook and Twitter, Websites, and blogs. The Australian Red Cross has a well-established website form where adequate information concerning its operations, services, and products can be obtained. These avenues can be exploited by the organisation to create awareness about the Family Support Group and the Homelessness Service Hub initiatives.

Legal Environment

The organisation cooperates with various legal institutions in advancing the goals of its programs such as the homelessness Service Hub.The organisation alsohas an IHL (International Humanitarian Law) program that offers education and training to various individuals and organisations (Australian Red Cross, 2015). Some of these organisations include the Australian Federal Police, Australian Defense Force, medical professionals, journalists, humanitarian workers, lawyers, the Federal Government, as well as its departments. There also exist numerous opportunities for the Red Cross volunteers/staff as well as tertiary and secondary leaners from various disciplines to study the IHL courses.

Environmental Factor

The programs are in line with the objectives of environmental conservation/preservation. The Homelessness Service Hub ensures that homeless individuals are settled in designated laces, thereby minimizing cases on overcrowding in the streets of Townsville. Besides, the organisation addresses issues associated with environmental disasters or natural catastrophes. 

Micro Environment

Assessment of the micro-environmental factors affecting organizational processes is also a significant step towards the establishment of appropriate ways that can be employed in addressing challenges, which an organisation can encounter in its operations (Australian Red Cross, 2015). The micro-environmental factors that will be taken into consideration are sponsors, clients/customers, competitors, and donor.

Sponsors

Currently, The Australian government receives a significant portion of its funding from the government. However, the organisation also partners with various organisations that include the National Humanity Partners, National Community Partners, National Loyalty Partners, national Unity Partners, supporters in times of disaster appeals, and supporters of business humanity network (Australian Red Cross, 2015). National Humanity Partners include the Commonwealth Bank, First National Foundation, Johnson and Johnson Pacific, King and Wood Mallesons, Microsoft, Land Rover, and Mantra Group among others.

Examples of National Community Partners are Cheesecake Shop, AVG, IBM, and Medibank. BOQ is an example of a National Unity Partner to the Australian Red Cross. Kathmandu and John Holland are examples of National Loyalty Partners to the Red Cross in Australia (Australian Red Cross, 2015). Optus, Australia Post, and Commonwealth Bank often act as supporters of the organization during disaster appeals. Winslow, PwC Australia, and Safe Train Pty ltd are examples of Business Humanity network Suppliers to the Australian Red Cross.

Customers/Clients

The organisation’s consumers are the general public, who benefit from the donated blood, particularly during disastrous events that involve bloodshed.

Competitors

Currently, the organization has no competitors. However, it can face competition in the future. As such, the organisation should adopt suitable measures such intensification of its operation all over Townsville to create barriers for any party/organization that intends to join this market in the future. Such an undertaking will ensure that the organisation maintain its dominance in the market. 

Donors

Having more than 3,800 workers in medical, support, and scientific services, the Australian Red Cross (i.e. Blood Service) is remarkable in the sense that its existence relies on the constant support of more than 520,000 generous Australian citizens, who offer their blood and time, as a donation or gift (Australian Red Cross, 2015). The balance between scientific and medical professionals, and volunteer base of donors of blood, who manufacture and supply blood products acts as one of the features of the Australian Red Cross. The unique characteristics associated with the Australian system act as the principle of voluntary non-remunerated donors to offer support to the supply of fresh blood components.

Marketing Overview

The Family Support Programme is designed to offer practical outreach help to families that have children below 18 years of age, especially those families residing in Townville region (Family Support Programme, 2015). This program offers strengths-based case administration to susceptible families to promote parenting skills, social connections, child wellbeing, and promote family functioning among others. Involvement in this program is voluntary, thereby matching the objective of the Red Cross concerning voluntary service provision. The organisation has also liaised with other bodies such as community agencies, government, and local providers to enhance the operations of the Family Support Programme. Moreover, the referral forms have also been made available upon linking with the Family Wellbeing Service. Information has also been made public concerning the activities associated with the programme. The production and dissemination this information is sponsored by the Townville City Council. Furthermore, the program also connects with people across the world via the social media platforms such as Facebook and twitter. The initiative also has a website where concerned individuals and volunteers can connect with the Australian Red Cross.

According to Australian Red Cross (2015), the Australian Red Cross believes that housing is an essential human requirement that supports an individual’s inclusion within the society. Housing also supports individual’s economic, psychological, social, and physical wellbeing. The Australian Red Cross establishes marketing activities on these four aspects. The organisation accomplishes this goal using the Homeless Service Hub program. It has also employed several measures in facilitating its operations.

The Australian Red Cross is preventing individuals from being homeless. It also supports persons who are homeless to access and sustain housing by offering services and programs such as the homeless service hub, which used to market the organisation. The Australian Red Cross also aims at persuading opinion leaders and decision-makers to address issues that cause homeless so that advanced systems support individuals to stay housed. Australian Red Cross (2015) states that the oganisation embraces aspects that are distinctive to Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal organisations. In situations where the Red Cross is engaged in the provision of responses, it ensures that culturally sensitive initiatives and programs are offered. Red Cross operates in partnership with other organisations and the community to address the issue of homelessness.    

The organisation has established several programs to ensure that its objectives are accomplished in an effective manner. These programs are incorporated with the grand program, the Homelessness Service Hub. These initiatives include homestay, private tenancy support, intensive tenancy support, and Helping older individuals with housing. The homestay initiative support individuals to sustain their present accommodation or access more sustainable accommodation. The intensive tenancy support offers support to individuals who are vulnerable to losing their rental housing. Homelessness Service Hub (2015) asserts that the private tenancy support offers assistance to persons who are susceptible to losing their private rental housing. The Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) offers support to low-income elderly individuals who are worried about being homeless or those who are already homeless. According to Homelessness Service Hub, (2015), the homelessness service hub offers a range of information, housing, specialist, and support services to help persons who are susceptible to becoming homeless or are homeless. This hub serves as the only entry point for housing and support within Townsville.

SWOT Analysis

Internal Assessment of Red Cross’s Initiatives

Strengths

The Family Support Program and the Homelessness Service Hub are unique initiatives established by the Australian Red Cross to offer essential basic needs and housing to residents of the Townsville region. These initiatives enable the Australia Red Cross to widen its marketing and issue significant information about its self and the assistance it offers to the society. These initiatives offer people the opportunity to learn how they can coexist and help each other in addressing life hurdles.

Weakness

Despite having a very robust market plan through the Homelessness Service Hub and the Family Support Program, the Australian Red Cross could experience certain challenges such as persons who have misconceptions about these initiatives. Since joining these initiatives is voluntary, the organisation can experience problems convincing such individuals to join these programs. The organisation also lacks adequate financial resources to adequately cater for the growing urban population, which leads to resource strain.

External Assessment of the Family Support Program and the Homelessness Service Hub

Opportunities

By investing on the Homelessness Service Hub and the Family Support Group initiatives, the Australian Red Cross has a suitable opportunity to reach out to households requiring support for basic needs and homeless individuals within the city. The organization also has a suitable opportunity to prevent many individuals from becoming homeless. With these initiatives, the organisation can venture into the aging populations, which stands a significant risk of lacking basic needs and becoming homeless. The organisation can also expand its activities to cater for the needs of orphaned children or abandoned children within Townsville and other areas. These individuals can in return spread the message about the humanitarian act6ivties of the organisation, thereby convincing many individuals, donors, sponsors, and supporters to fund the projects of the organisation. Furthermore, they can also woe many people to volunteer as members of the Australian Red Cross.

Threats

Having developed these humanitarian initiaitves, the Australian Red Cross still faces the risk of facing certain challenges in the market. First, the increasing/growing population presents a significant problem to the organisation in terms of ammasing adequate resources that can cater for the needs of this population, particularly when it comes to the provision of basic needs. Second, the issue of immigration also presents a tough challenge to the organisation when it comes to settling homeless individuals. The increasing numbers of immigrants into Australia makes it difficult for the organisation to address the issue of homelessness. As such, the government should intervene by implementing policies that effectively regulate the issue of immigration.

Assumptions

The Homelessness Service Hub and the Family Support Program are a great success within Townsville, especially in settling homeless individuals and providing essential basic needs to the needy family in this region/area. The Homelessness Service Hub can be effective in minimizing the level of continuous rough sleeping when certain measures are adopted. For instance, there should be an increase in the number of forms available for accommodation, and the Townsville council should coordinate this undertaking, as it is in charge of homelessness and public intoxication. Such an undertaking can also increase the number of individuals staying in transient accommodation (i.e. persons moving between the diversionary centre, occasionally rough sleeping, correctional facility or staying with the family). As such, adequate measures should be adopted to ensure that individuals improve their living circumstances by moving from transient housing and rough sleeping to more secure and long term housing.

The position of the SIC (Service Integration Coordinator) should be strengthened. The SIC contributes significantly to the enhancement of the operations of humanitarian programs, particularly the homelessness initiative. The application of this model in both, the Family Support Group Programme and the Homelessness Service Hub can lead to the realization enormous success, which have been witnessed in other humanitarian initiative. For instance, the involvement of the SIC in Townsville’s HSIDP (Homelessness Services Integration Demonstration Project) resulted into a significant success. In this initiative, the SIC played the role of leadership and acted as a pivotal agent of change in the marketing operation. To ensure an effective reinforcement of such a position, it should be granted the mandate necessary to accomplish an integrated approach to case administration involving various organisations with their processes and interests. This step will ensure effective cooperation among all the agencies involved in the addressing the homelessness issue.    

The organisation should also expand its marketing activities to reach many individuals in the Townsville region. This goal can be accomplished by forming strategic alliances with other agencies. There is also a need to focus the organisation’s marketing strategy on the youth or young volunteers. This target group can contribute significantly to the smooth or efficient execution of the organisation’s activities. Moreover, the fact that the youth forms a significant portion of the Townsville population highlights the need to involvement them in the organisation’s activities.  The organisation can lure this target group by organizing shows and exhibitions that are focused on entertainment and other activities that are appealing to the youth.

Accomplishing thee goals calls for adequate funding from donors. As such, the Australian Red Cross should ensure that it has adequate comprehension of its donors. In relation to this, the organization should research on the nature of its donors’ spending habits, as well as activities that are appealing to them. In this manner, the Australian Red Cross will manage to raise adequate funds for its marketing operations. One way of accomplishing this objective is educating various donors on the significance of supporting these initiatives to the society and themselves. Such an undertaking will ensure that the organisation establishes trust with the donors and assure them that its activities are in line with their interests.

Staying in touch with stakeholders helps to establish confidence between the organisation and these parties. Keeping in touch with donors will enables them to believe that their contributions are being used as desired or appropriately. As such, the organisation should update the list of its donors and cooperate with in the order of their priority (i.e. contribution potential).  Some of the methods that will be employed in enhancing the communication between the organisation and donors are phone calls, postcards, emails, newsletters, and letters.

Marketing Objectives and Strategies

According to Homelessness Australia (2015), one any night in Australia one out of every two-hundred individuals are left homeless. Currently, Australia has approximately 105, 237 persons who are homeless. 56% of this population is made up of males, while 44% are females. The following information reveals the places where individuals are staying (Homelessness Australia, 2015):

• Sleeping out, improvised dwellings, or tents 6%
• Supported housing for the homeless 20%
• Living temporarily with other households/families 17%
• Boarding houses/accomodations 17%
• Other temporary housing/lodging 1%
• “Severely” congested dwellings 39%

Considering the above statistics, the Ausrtralian Red Cross should target most of its market operations in congested dwellings, supported housing for the homeless, boarding houses, and on individuals living with other families, as these areas account for a significant percentage of homeless individuals. One of the strategies that the organization should employ in addressing this issue is forming partnerships with other organisations and cooperating with the local community members. Such an undertaking will ensure that the organization executes its operations effectively. The organization should also employ communications and marketing professionals in assisting its partners to better serve the Townsville, society. The following marketing initiatives should embraced by the organisation in the next three to four years:

• A direct mail advertising to the homeless individuals in the above mentioned areas
• Organization of conferences and exhibitions on homelessness
• A direct marketing advertising in all the affected areas
• A telemarketing initiative that establishes contact with most of the homeless individuals and donors

Budget

The overall cost of the marketing activities for the two programs in Tonwsville will be $300k. However, this figure does not take into consideration all the marketing expenses. As such, the organization will have to seek extra funding from the government or other donors in case of inadequacies in the marketing budget.